CHICAGO, IL — Hyde Park Art Center (5020 S Cornell) announces the return of “Ground Floor,” the fourth iteration of an ongoing series of biennial programs that feature work by some of Chicago’s most promising emerging talent. Nominated by respected members of the arts community and selected by the Art Center’s Exhibitions Committee, which includes artists Dawoud Bey (Chair), Romi Crawford, Dianna Frid, James Pepper Kelly, Lane Relyea, David Schutter, along with Art Center Staff Allison Peters Quinn and Kate Lorenz, the selected artists are 2015 and 2016 graduates from Chicago’s top-ranked Master of Fine Art programs: Columbia College Chicago, Northwestern University, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, The University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“Many of the artists in this year’s selection for Ground Floor use the lens of technology and design”, stated Director of Exhibition & Residency Programs Allison Peters Quinn, “to reinterpret, distort, or enhance their abilities expressed in traditional media like painting, sculpture and drawing in exciting ways.”

The committee received more than 125 artist nominations from faculty artists, critics and curators in Chicago. After reviewing submissions from the nominated artists, the committee rigorously narrowed down the submissions to a final list of work that represents the range of dynamic art practices coming out of Chicago today. All selected artists live and work in the Chicagoland area, reflecting the Art Center’s committment to building a strong local community of thriving young artists.

Named for its role in providing a crucial platform for young artists, “Ground Floor” includes:

A major exhibition that fills the entire lower level of the Art Center’s 32,000 square feet building

An exhibition catalogue that increases the visibility of Ground Floor artists outside of Chicago

Critical writing that allows artists to receive valuable, documented feedback about their work and will cultivate new critical voices

Professional support for promising Chicago artists—introducing them to curators, critics, collectors, and a public beyond their immediate network

A public stage and “next step” for young artists following their graduate degrees

A direct pipeline of new talent to local and national institutions, galleries, and curators

A destination for the Chicago community to see and learn about artists whose careers we should watch and support

In the spirit of supporting young artists, the Art Center has also commissioned Tempestt Hazel, Chicago-based writer, artist, and curator to author the Ground Floor catalog. The catalog will be released October 2016.

“Ground Floor” alumni from the 2014 exhibition include Evan Baden, whose work is currently on view in the exhibition “The Outwin, American Portraiture Today” at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, Ramyar Vala, participant in the Fifth Annual Exposure Award at the Musee du Louvre, and Tina Tahir, current Art Center artist-in-residence and recipient of the 2016 Arte Laguna Prize.

Hyde Park Art Center is a unique resource that advances contemporary visual art in Chicago by connecting artists and communities in unexpected ways. As an open forum for exploring the artistic process, the Art Center fosters creativity through making, learning about, seeing, and discussing art—all under one roof. The Art Center is funded in part by: Allstate Insurance Company; Alphawood Foundation; Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts; Bank of America; Bloomberg Philanthropies; a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events; Crown Family Philanthropies; David C. and Sarajean Ruttenberg Arts Foundation; Field Foundation of Illinois; Harper Court Arts Council; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Irving Harris Foundation; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; The Joyce Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; National Endowment for the Arts; Polk Bros. Foundation; The Reva and David Logan Foundation; Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust; and the generosity of its members and people like you.

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